Boy donates birthday money to Children’s Garden

9-year-old Kaz Conolly Basdeo presents his $400 donation to the Botanic Park’s general manager, John Lawrus, on Sept. 23.

For the second consecutive year, 9-year-old Kaz Conolly Basdeo has donated all the money he received at his birthday party to the Children’s Garden development at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

Kaz handed over the $400 donation to the park’s general manager, John Lawrus, on Sept. 23.

Mr. Lawrus said he was “sincerely touched by the generous donation, yet again from Kaz.”

“He truly is a leader already and firmly believes in the benefits that the Children’s Garden is going to bring to the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Lawrus said.

Kaz said he decided again to give his birthday money to the Children’s Garden because “I like the idea of how they are trying to get children to learn about nature and our surroundings.”

The Children’s Garden, which broke ground last month, is situated between the Visitor Centre and the Heritage Garden in the Botanic Park. It includes an “outdoor classroom” where students can take part in field trips and earth science lessons. A “grow zone” is also planned, which will include a planting bed for each school to use so children can learn about pollination, flowering and harvesting, as well as pest and disease problems. There will also be a sensory garden area, discovery pond, ecosystem and wildlife areas.

Kaz’s mother Marilyn Conolly said, “I’m happy that Kaz decided to contribute to a project that will strengthen children’s connection to our environment through play. I hope that the garden will inspire many children to be good stewards of our planet, starting with their own community.”

Patrick Thompson, director of the Tourism Attraction Board, thanked Kaz for his contribution to the project, saying, “The interest, dedication and overall enthusiasm he has shown towards this project is an indicator of how well it will be received by the youth of our community. He is truly a shining example of the future of Cayman.”